A National Maternal and Infant Health Survey is being conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics with the joint sponsorship of NICHD and several other Public Health Service and federal agencies. The survey consists of three components: a natality survey, which is sampled from certificates of live birth; a fetal mortality survey, which is sampled from reports of fetal death, and an infant mortality survey, which is sampled from infant death certificates. In the summer of 1987, a four-State pretest was conducted for 200 live births, 200 fetal deaths, and 200 infant deaths. Questionnaires were mailed to mothers, hospitals, and prenatal care providers associated with these events. Sponsor agency questions were included in the pretest and then revised as needed for the main survey. Final OMB approval was obtained in the fall of 1988, and the main survey was launched in January 1989. NCHS is monitoring data collection which is being done by the Census Bureau.